Εleven Greek Legume Beans: Assessment of Genotypic Effect on Their Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Properties

Legumes, one of the first crops of humanity, inherently constitute a staple nutritional source for mankind, attracting significant research attention that has been afforded to the development of numerous cultivars. The study herein concerns the exploitation of the nutritional and bio-functional content of beans harvested from eleven Greek cultivars belonging to five different species, namely Cicer arietinum L., Pisum sativum L., Vicia faba L., Lens culinaris L., and Phaseolus vulgaris L. The final goal is to define their varietal identity and correlate their phytochemical content with their potential utilization as functional foods and/or feed of high nutritional value. In this respect, their extracts were screened against the presence of 27 fatty acids and 19 phenolic compounds, revealing the presence of 22 and 15 molecules, respectively. Specifically, numerous fatty acids were detected in significant amounts in all but C. arietinum extract, while significant polyphenolic content was confirmed only in P. vulgaris. Among individual compounds, linoleic acid was the major fatty acid detected in amounts averaging more than 150 mg/g, followed by oleic acid, which was present as a major compound in all extracts. Among the nine polyphenols detected in P. vulgaris, the molecules of genistein (3.88 mg/g) and coumestrol (0.82 mg/g) were the most abundant. Their antioxidant properties were evaluated through DPPH and FRAP assays, which were highlighted as most potent in both tests of the V. faba extract, while C. arietinum was determined as totally inactive, indicating a potential correlation between the phenolic content of the plant species and antioxidant activity. These results are indicative of the significant advances achieved for the cultivars investigated and reveal their important role as nutritional crops for human and animal consumption.

Assessment of the volatile and non-volatile profile of Savatiano PGI wines as affected by various terroirs in Attica, Greece

Establishing the concept of terroir in wines, combined with the exploitation of native grape varieties, is considered a viable alternative to produce quality wines for increasing interest in the wine market. The aim of this study is the characterization of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Savatiano white wines from different regions of Attica (Greece), through the chemical and sensory description of the aroma of wines and the determination of their phenolic profiles. The wines produced with the same vinification protocol were evaluated using the descriptive sensory analysis method while they underwent profiling of volatile and phenolic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) respectively. The presence of regional differences within the wines was also explored, elaborated with variables that contribute to their differentiation, such as soil type, monthly average temperature, and rainfall. Volatile and sensory profiles of the wines separated the regions and confirmed that sub-regional differences attributed mainly to soil characteristics affect wine aroma. The wines from the east part of Attica were higher in esters, terpenes and higher alcohols with high scores in fruity and blossoms attributes while wines from the north part of Attica presented higher intensity of mineral, nutty and herbaceous attributes. The separations based solely on the phenolic compounds concentration were less clear but a relationship was found between the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids and the studied regions. To our knowledge this is the first characterization of Savatiano PGI wines of Attica generating a fingerprint including chemical composition and sensory aroma characteristics to differentiate wines, combining this pattern with particular sub-regions.

An Interdisciplinary Assessment of Biochemical and Antioxidant Attributes of Six Greek Vicia sativa L. Varieties

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is one of the most cultivated feed crops with extensive agricultural diversity and numerous cultivars. This study concerns the first-time investigation of the dry plant biomass and grains of six vetch cultivars to define the detailed fingerprint of their phenolic and fatty acid content, along with their respective antioxidant potencies. The results revealed a substantial variation in the feed quality traits among the tested Vicia sativa varieties, highlighting the crucial role and influence the genotype plays in the achievement of high-quality livestock nutrition. Among the six varieties tested, Istros and M-6900 displayed a particularly intriguing phytochemical profile characterized by elevated phenolic content, significant antioxidant potency and remarkably high fatty acid indices. These findings are indicative of the great potential of these varieties to function as suitable candidates for incorporation into farm animal diets either in the form of dry biomass (hay) or as a grain feed additive.

Phytoestrogens as Biomarkers of Plant Raw Materials Used for Fish Feed Production

The intensive use of plant materials as a sustainable alternative for fish feed production, combined with their phytochemical content, which affects the growth and production characteristics of farmed fishes, necessitates their monitoring for the presence of raw materials of plant origin. This study reported herein concerns the development, validation and application of a workflow using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the quantification of 67 natural phytoestrogens in plant-derived raw materials that were used to produce fish feeds. Specifically, we verified the presence of 8 phytoestrogens in rapeseed meal samples, 20 in soybean meal samples, 12 in sunflower meal samples and only 1 in wheat meal samples in quantities enabling their efficient incorporation into clusters. Among the various constituents, the soybean phytoestrogens daidzein, genistein, daidzin, glycitin, apigenin, calycosin and coumestrol, as well as the sunflower neochlorogenic, caffeic and chlorogenic phenolic acids, displayed the highest correlations with their origin descriptions. A hierarchical cluster analysis of the studied samples, based on their phytoestrogen contents, led to the efficient clustering of raw materials. The accuracy and efficiency of this clustering were tested through the incorporation of additional samples of soybean meal, wheat meal and maize meal, which verified the utilization of the phytoestrogen content as a valuable biomarker for the discrimination of raw materials used for fish feed production.

Bioactivity of Wild and Cultivated Legumes: Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Properties

The global demand for increased meat production has brought to the surface several obstacles concerning environmental impacts, animals’ welfare, and quality features, revealing the need to produce safe foodstuffs with an environmentally acceptable procedure. In this regard, the incorporation of legumes into animal diets constitutes a sustainable way out that prevents these apprehensions. Legumes are plant crops belonging to the Fabaceae family and are known for their rich content of secondary metabolites., displaying significant antioxidant properties and a series of health and environmental benefits. The study herein aims to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of indigenous and cultivated legume plants used for food and feed. The respective results indicate that the methanolic extract of Lathyrus laxiflorus (Desf.) Kuntze displayed the highest phenolic (64.8 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) and tannin (419.6 mg catechin equivalents/g extract) content, while the dichloromethane extract of Astragalus glycyphyllos L., Trifolium physodes Steven ex M.Bieb. and Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H.Stirt. plant samples exhibited the richest content in carotenoids lutein (0.0431 mg/g A. glycyphyllos extract and 0.0546 mg/g B. bituminosa extract), α-carotene (0.0431 mg/g T. physodes extract) and β-carotene (0.090 mg/g T. physodes extract and 0.3705 mg/g B. bituminosa extract) establishing their potential role as vitamin A precursor sources. Results presented herein verify the great potential of Fabaceae family plants for utilization as pasture plants and/or dietary ingredients, since their cultivation has a positive impact on the environment, and they were found to contain essential nutrients capable to improve health, welfare, and safety.

Farm or Lab? A Comparative Study of Oregano's Leaf and Callus Volatile Isolates Chemistry and Cytotoxicity

Oregano (Origanum vulgare, Lamiaceae plant family) is a well-known aromatic herb with great commercial value, thoroughly utilized by food and pharmaceutical industries. The present work regards the comparative assessment of in vitro propagated and commercially available oregano tissue natural products. This study includes their secondary metabolites' biosynthesis, antioxidant properties, and anticancer activities. The optimization of callus induction from derived oregano leaf explants and excessive oxidative browning was performed using various plant growth regulators, light conditions, and antioxidant compounds. The determination of oregano callus volatiles against the respective molecules in maternal herbal material was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. In total, the presence of twenty-seven phytochemicals was revealed in both leaf and callus extracts, from which thirteen molecules were biosynthesized in both tissues studied, seven compounds were present only in callus extracts, and seven metabolites only in leaf extracts. Carvacrol and sabinene hydrate were the prevailing volatiles in all tissues exploited, along with alkanes octacosane and triacontane and the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivative of carvacrol that were detected in significant amounts only in callus extracts. The MTT assay was employed to assess the in vitro cytotoxic properties of oregano extracts against the epithelial human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and the human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cell lines. The extracts displayed concentration and time-dependent responses in cell proliferation rates.

Growth and Volatile Organic Compound Production of Pseudomonas Fish Spoiler Strains on Fish Juice Agar Model Substrate at Different Temperatures

Microbial spoilage is the main cause of quality deterioration in seafood. Several strains of psychotropic Pseudomonas have been found to dominate in such products, producing a plethora of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Herein, we investigated the growth of and VOC production by seven strains of Pseudomonas associated with spoiled fish after inoculation as single and mixed cultures on model fish substrate and storage at 0, 4 and 8 °C. The results indicated a strain-dependent VOC profile that was also affected by the storage temperature. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) successfully grouped the strains based on VOC profile at each studied temperature, while some potential Chemical Spoilage Indices (CSI) were revealed. The findings of the present work will contribute to the understanding of the metabolic activity of particular strains of Pseudomonas and to reveal any potential CSI for rapid evaluation of fish spoilage/freshness status.

Essential Oils Land Footprint: A Sustainability Meta-Analysis of Essential Oils Biopesticides

BACKGROUND

Essential oils (EO) are considered as safe and sustainable alternatives of synthetically produced industrial raw materials. While EO are renewable resources their production is traced to land use, therefore employing nonrenewable resources. This fact is often neglected during market up-take, which is established on EO bioactivity efficacy.

METHODS

Present study is aiming this knowledge gap through an innovative algorithm that employs spatial yield, bioactivity performance and fundamental experimentation details to calculate the land footprint. The proposed methodology is tested upon a concise pool of 54 EO, of which 9 originate from 8 culinary herbs, 27 from 3 juniper taxa, and 18 from 6 Citrus sp. crops. All 54 EO were subjected to repellent evaluation and 44 of them also to larvicidal, encompassing in the protocol both choice and no-choice bioassays.

RESULTS

Based on these bioprospecting data the proposed protocol effectively calculated the land footprint for all EO and bioassays. The repellent land footprint indicated as more sustainable the EO from savory, oregano, tarhan, thyme, Greek sage, and juniper berries for which each application corresponds to 3.97, 4.74, 7.33, 7.66, 8.01 and 8.32 m2 respectively. The larvicidal assessment suggested as more sustainable the EOs from savory, oregano, fennel, thyme, tarhan, and rue with land footprints of 1.56, 1.79, 2.16, 2.89, 3.70 and 4.30 m2 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed protocol managed to calculate the land footprint for each EO and bioactivity and indicated the more sustainable EO per use based on widely available bioprospecting data.

Efficacy Evaluation of Oregano Essential Oil Mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Diflubenzuron against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus in Road Drains of Italy

Mosquito management programs in the urban environment of Italian cities mainly rely on larval control with conventional insecticides, primarily targeting the road drains that constitute the principal mosquito breeding sites encountered in public. The repeated utilization of synthetic insecticides may have adverse effects on non-targets and lead to resistance development issues, while the performance of biopesticides encounters limitations in field use. Botanical insecticides as single larval control agents or in binary mixtures with conventional insecticides have been extensively studied in the laboratory as an effective and eco-friendly alternative mosquito control method with promising results. The study herein concerns the investigation, for the first time under realistic conditions in the field, of the joint action of a carvacrol-rich oregano Essential Oil (EO) with two conventional insecticides, namely, the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron and the bio-insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (B.t.i.), in road drains in Crevalcore city, Italy, against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus. According to the obtained results, the application of both plain EO and its mixtures with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. exerted very high efficacy in terms of immature mosquito population reduction over a two-week period. Three weeks after treatment, the performance of the oil and its mixtures diminished but remained high, while the addition of diflubenzuron potentiated the persistent action of the oil against Cx. pipiens. These findings are indicative of the potential of mixing carvacrol-rich EO with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. as an efficient eco-friendly alternative to mono-insecticide applications in road drains against Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus larvae.

Transformation of mixtures of olive mill stone waste and oat bran or Lathyrus clymenum pericarps into high added value products using solid state fermentation

The main objective of this study concerns the bioconversion of agro-industrial wastes into high added value products, such as proteinaceous animal feed, using Solid State Fermentation process (SSF). For this purpose, the Olive Mill Stone Waste (OMSW) which is known to contain low amounts of proteins and a high concentration of anti-nutritional substances was used as substrate. Subsequently, OMSW was fermented with Oat Bran (OB) or Lathyrus clymenum pericarp (LP) in proportions varying from 10 %w/w to 30 %w/w, applying SSF process initiated by Pleurotus ostreatus utilizing latter's secreted enzymes for their degradation. The respective results indicated that the addition of 30 %w/w of OB, resulted in a 39% increase of the protein content at the end of fermentation (Day 21). In addition, we observed a 5-fold increase of 1,3-1,6 β-glucan content and a simultaneous decrease of unwanted lignin of 24%. The addition of 20 %w/w of LP afforded, at the end of fermentation (Day 21), an increased protein content of 57%, a 3-fold increase in 1,3-1,6 β-glucans and a decrease in lignin concentration of 13%. These findings demonstrate the potential of the LP utilization by using SSF process, for the production of high nutritional value dietary supplements for animal feed. This endeavor constitutes the first literature report for the utilization of the agro-industrial waste LP. The developed methodology herein is considered as crucial for the circular economy since it refers to the reuse of agro-industrial wastes and the production of a high added-value product.

Conversion of brewers' spent grain into proteinaceous animal feed using solid state fermentation

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) represents the 85% of the total residue produced during the beer brewing process, with a global annual production volume exceeding 30 Mtons. The current study concerns the application of solid state fermentation (SSF) as a bioprocess where the nutritional value of BSG is improved for further use as animal feed with increased value. The investigated SSF procedure was initiated by the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus, which constitutes a natural source of proteins, β-glucans, and various metabolites (vitamins, nutrients, etc.). Herein, the SSF of BSG resulted in a significant increase of protein content by 49.49%, a 10-fold increase of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans, and a respective reduction of cellulose by 11.42%. The application of this method is expected to provide some useful information on the utilization of BSG as substrate for fungi-initiated SSF, a bioprocess allowing the significant reduction of the environmental impact caused by the beer brewing industry and simultaneously producing animal feed with higher protein content and improved nutritional characteristics. Such studies contribute to confront the unavailability of proteinaceous animal feed observed in the last decade.

Effect of a Carotenoid Extract from Citrus reticulata By-Products on the Immune-Oxidative Status of Broilers

Although carotenoids generally possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, the in vivo synergistic action of carotenoid blends derived from plant-based by-products has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the carotenoid characterization and antimicrobial potential of Citrus reticulata extract as well as the impact of this carotenoid-rich extract (CCE) dietary supplementation on the performance, meat quality, and immune-oxidative status of broiler chickens were determined. One hundred and twenty one-day-old hatched chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to two dietary groups, with four replicate pens of 15 birds each. Birds were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% CCE (25 mg carotenoid extract included in 1 g of soluble starch) for 42 d. β-Cryptoxanthin, β-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, and Lutein were the prevailing carotenoid compounds in the Citrus reticulata extract. The CCE feed additive exerted inhibitory properties against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and negative (Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria. Both the broiler performance and meat quality did not substantially differ, while the breast muscle malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration tended to decrease (p = 0.070) in the CCE-fed broilers. The inclusion of CCE decreased the alanine aminotransferase and MDA concentration, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase, while the activity of superoxide dismutase was increased in the blood. Catalase and NADPH oxidase 2 relative transcript levels were significantly downregulated in the livers of the CCE-fed broilers. Additionally, Interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) relative transcript levels were downregulated in the livers of the CCE- fed broilers, while TNF and interferon γ (IFNG) tended to decrease in the spleens and bursa of Fabricius, respectively. The present study provided new insights regarding the beneficial properties of carotenoids contained in Citrus reticulata in broilers’ immune-oxidative status. These promising outcomes could be the basis for further research under field conditions.

Integrated biorefinery development using winery waste streams for the production of bacterial cellulose, succinic acid and value-added fractions

An integrated biorefinery has been developed using winery wastes (grape pomace-GP, stalks-GS, wine lees-WL). Bacterial cellulose was produced from GP extracted free sugars. Grape-seed oil and polyphenols were extracted from GP. Experimental design was employed to optimize lignin removal (50.8%) from mixtures of remaining GP solids and GS via NaOH (1.19% w/v) treatment at 70°C for 30 min. Delignification liquid contained condensed tannins with 76% Stiasny number. Enzymatic hydrolysis produced a sugar-rich hydrolysate (40.2 g/L sugars). Ethanol, antioxidants, tartaric acid and nutrient-rich hydrolysate were produced from WL. The crude hydrolysates were used in fed-batch Actinobacillus succinogenes cultures for 37.2 g/L succinic acid production. The biorefinery produces 42.65 g bacterial cellulose, 24.3 g oil, 40.3 g phenolic-rich extract with 1.41 Antioxidant Activity Index, 80.2 g ethanol, 624.8 g crude tannin extract, 20.03 g tartaric acid and 157.8 g succinic acid from 1 kg of each waste stream.

Retrieval of High Added Value Natural Bioactive Coumarins from Mandarin Juice-Making Industrial Byproduct

Cold pressed essential oil (CPEO) of mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), a by-product of the juice-making industrial process known to contain large amounts of polymethoxyflavones, was exploited for its content in high added value natural coumarins. The study herein afforded a method referring to the evaporation of CPEO volatile fraction under mild conditions (reduced pressure and temperature below 35 °C) as azeotrope with isopropanol. This allowed the isolation of high added value coumarins from the non-volatile fragment using preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Pilot-scale application of this procedure afforded for each kg of CPEO processed the following natural bioactive coumarins in chemically pure forms: heraclenol (38-55 mg), 8-gerayloxypsoralen (35-51 mg), auraptene (22-33 mg), and bergamottin (14-19 mg). The structures of coumarins were verified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and HPLC co-injection with authentic standards. Thus, the low market value mandarin CPEO with current value of 17 to 22 EUR/kg can be valorized through the production of four highly bioactive natural compounds worth 3479 to 5057 EUR/kg, indicating the great potentials of this methodology in the terms of the circular economy.

Immune-Related Gene Expression Profiling of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with Vinification Byproducts: A Valorization Approach II

Simple Summary

The valorization of grape byproducts appears to be a sustainable bioeconomic strategy that could promote the substitution of synthetic with natural antioxidant compounds in the food and feed industry. The nutritional physiology of broiler chickens requires special attention to the interactions between nutrients and antioxidant mechanisms since the stressor signals of factory farming could impair the immune status, resulting in detrimental effects on broilers’ performance. The objective of this study was to assess the inclusion of grape byproducts (grape pomace, wine lees, and stem extract) on the transcriptional profiling of genes regulating the immune system in the liver, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen. The dietary supplementation of grape byproducts rich in polyphenolic compounds decreased the mRNA levels of the predominant pro-inflammatory receptor in the liver, while in the spleen, the stem extract diet upregulated the aforementioned receptor. Upregulation of interleukin 8 was observed in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen of the stems extract-fed broilers. Although grape byproducts depicting a sustainable source of bioactive compounds with vast antioxidant potential, there were unveiled preliminary insights for immune stimulation at the transcriptional level.

Abstract

The valorization of vinification byproducts portrays a promising bioprocess for the enrichment of animals’ diet with bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which could regulate the immune response. Therefore, the impact of dietary grounded grape pomace (GGP), wine lees extract (WYC), and grape stem extract (PE) on the relative transcript level of immune related genes of broiler chickens were examined. Two hundred forty, one-day-old as hatched (male/female) chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to four dietary groups, with four replicate pens each with 15 birds. Birds were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 2.5% GGP, or 0.2% WYC, or 0.1% PE for 42 d. The relative expression of immune-related genes was investigated using a real-time PCR platform. The mRNA levels of Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) were downregulated (p = 0.039) in the liver of broilers fed the GGP-containing diet compared to the CON, while in the spleen of PE-fed broilers, TLR4 was significantly upregulated (p = 0.043). The mRNA levels of interleukin 8 (IL8) tended to upregulate (p = 0.099) in the bursa of Fabricius and were significantly increased (p = 0.036) in the spleen of broilers fed the PE diet. Vinification byproducts depict a promising sustainable source of polyphenols for the poultry feed industry, but more research is needed under field conditions.

Antioxidant Status of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with Vinification By-Products: A Valorization Approach

Vinification by-products display great potential for utilization as feed additives rich in antioxidant compounds. Thus, the effect of dietary ground grape pomace (GGP), wine lees extract rich in yeast cell walls (WYC), and grape stem extracts (PE) on the relative expression of several genes involved in liver oxidative mechanisms and the oxidative status of the blood and breast muscle of broiler chickens was investigated. In total, 240 one-day-old as hatched chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to four treatments, with four replicate pens and 15 birds in each pen. Birds were fed either a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 25 g/kg GGP, or 2 g/kg WYC, or 1 g starch including 100 mg pure stem extract/kg (PE) for 42 days. The polyphenolic content of vinification by-products was determined using an LC-MS/MS library indicating as prevailing compounds procyanidin B1 and B2, gallic acid, caftaric acid, (+)-catechin, quercetin, and trans-resveratrol. Body weight and feed consumption were not significantly affected. The relative transcript level of GPX1 and SOD1 tended to increase in the liver of WYC-fed broilers, while NOX2 tended to decrease in the PE group. SOD activity in blood plasma was significantly increased in WYC and PE compared to the CON group. The total antioxidant capacity measured with FRAP assay showed significantly higher values in the breast muscle of PE-fed broilers, while the malondialdehyde concentration was significantly decreased in both WYC- and PE-fed broilers compared to the CON group. The exploitation of vinification by-products as feed additives appears to be a promising strategy to improve waste valorization and supply animals with bioactive molecules capable of improving animals' oxidative status and products' oxidative stability.

High-Throughput Quantification of 32 Bioactive Antioxidant Phenolic Compounds in Grapes, Wines and Vinification Byproducts by LC-MS/MS

The well-established, health-benefitting effects of grapevines and derivatives (wines and vinification byproducts) are attributed to their antioxidant phenolic content. The dearth of an efficient method for the simultaneous quantitation of antioxidant phenolics prompted us to develop a novel method utilizing triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS for the accurate, fast, simultaneous quantitation of the 32 most abundant grapevine phenolics. The fully validated, novel method is capable to simultaneously record the quantitative presence of 12 phenolic acids, 19 polyphenols and coniferyl aldehyde (a phenolic compound extracted from cork stoppers into wines) and is applicable for the determination of antioxidant phenolics content of grape berries, pomace, stems and wines. Its utility was demonstrated for three native Greek grapevine varieties, two red (Mandilaria and Aidani mavro) and one white (Monemvassia). Results herein highlighted the stems of the Monemvassia white variety as particularly rich in antioxidant phenolics such as the flavonol monomer (+)-catechin (387 mg/kg) and the dimer procyanidin B1 (400 mg/kg) along with stilbene phytoalexin trans-resveratrol (24 mg/kg). These results are in line with the TPC, TFC and TTC content of stems and the determined antioxidant capacities, highlighting the stems of this Vitis vinifera variety as potentially exploitable source of antioxidant phenolics.

Novel Carbamοyloxy Analogues of Tamoxifen: Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Bioactivity Evaluation

Background:

Tamoxifen (TAM), a non-steroidal antiestrogen, constitutes the endocrine treatment of choice against breast cancer. Since its inauguration, substantial effort has been devoted towards the design and synthesis of TAM’s analogues aiming to improve its bioactivity and reveal their structure-activity relationship.

Objective:

One of the most studied synthetic features of TAM’s structure is the ether side chain, which is strongly related to its positioning into the active site of the Estrogen Receptors (ERα and ERβ). Herein, we present the application of a straightforward route for the efficient synthesis of selected novel carbamoyloxy analogues of TAM and the evaluation of their respective binding affinities to the Estrogen Receptors α and β.

Methods:

A one-pot reaction was applied for the construction of TAM’s triarylethylene core moiety, which subsequently was derivatized to provide efficiently the target carbamoyloxy analogues of TAM. The Z and E isomers of the latter were separated using RP-HPLC-UV and their binding affinities to ERα and ERβ were measured.

Results:

Among all compounds synthesized, the dimethyl derivative was determined as the most potent for both receptors, displaying binding affinity values comparable to TAM, though the Zdiethyl analogue maintained substantial affinity to both ERs. The aforementioned results were further studied by theoretical calculations and molecular modelling to delineate a concordance among calculations and biological activity.

Conclusion:

Approach applied herein permitted the extraction of a useful structure-activity relationship correlation pattern highlighting the importance of a chemically stabilized tamoxifen side chain.

An essay on ecosystem availability of Nicotiana glauca graham alkaloids: the honeybees case study

BACKGROUND

Invasive plant species pose a significant threat for fragile isolated ecosystems, occupying space, and consuming scarce local resources. Recently though, an additional adverse effect was recognized in the form of its secondary metabolites entering the food chain. The present study is elaborating on this subject with a specific focus on the Nicotiana glauca Graham (Solanaceae) alkaloids and their occurrence and food chain penetrability in Mediterranean ecosystems. For this purpose, a targeted liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analytical method, encompassing six alkaloids and one coumarin derivative, utilizing hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) was developed and validated.

RESULTS

The method exhibited satisfactory recoveries, for all analytes, ranging from 75 to 93%, and acceptable repeatability and reproducibility. Four compounds (anabasine, anatabine, nornicotine, and scopoletin) were identified and quantified in 3 N. glauca flowers extracts, establishing them as potential sources of alien bio-molecules. The most abundant constituent was anabasine, determined at 3900 μg/g in the methanolic extract. These extracts were utilized as feeding treatments on Apis mellifera honeybees, resulting in mild toxicity documented by 16-18% mortality. A slightly increased effect was elicited by the methanolic extract containing anabasine at 20 μg/mL, where mortality approached 25%. Dead bees were screened for residues of the N. glauca flower extracts compounds and a significant mean concentration of anabasine was evidenced in both 10 and 20 μg/mL treatments, ranging from 51 to 92 ng/g per bee body weight. Scopoletin was also detected in trace amounts.

CONCLUSIONS

The mild toxicity of the extracts in conjunction with the alkaloid and coumarin residual detection in bees, suggest that these alien bio-molecules are transferred within the food chain, suggesting a chemical invasion phenomenon, never reported before.

Induction of decay accelerating factor and membrane cofactor protein by resveratrol attenuates complement deposition in human coronary artery endothelial cells

The involvement of complement activation in various forms of cardiovascular disease renders it an important factor for disease progression and therapeutic intervention. The protective effect of resveratrol against cardiovascular disease via moderate red wine consumption has been established but the exact mechanisms are still under investigation. The current study utilised human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) in order to assess the extent to which the protective effect of resveratrol, at concentrations present in red wine, can be attributed to the upregulation of complement regulatory proteins through heme-oxygenase (HO)-1 induction. Resveratrol at concentrations as low as 0.001 μΜ increased HO-1 expression as well as membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) and decay-accelerating factor (DAF, CD55) expression with no-effect on CD59. Silencing of HO-1 expression by HO-1 siRNAs abrogated both DAF and MCP protein expression with no effect on CD59. Resveratrol-mediated induction of DAF and MCP reduced C3b deposition following incubation of HCAECs with 10% normal human serum or normal rat serum as a source of complement. Incubation of HCAECs, with either a DAF blocking antibody or following transfection with HO-1 siRNAs, in the presence of 10% normal rat serum increased C3b deposition, indicating that both DAF and HO-1 are required for C3b reduction. These observations support a novel mechanism for the protective effect of resveratrol against cardiovascular disease and confirm the important role of HO-1 in the regulation of the complement cascade.

Correlation between Chemical Composition of Greek Essential Oils and their Antibacterial Activity against Food-borne Pathogens

The compositions of forty-nine essential oils obtained from plants growing in areas of biodiversity in Greece were determined by means of gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The in vitro antibacterial activities of the oils were evaluated against a panel of five common food-borne bacteria ( Escherichia coli 0157:H7 NCTC 12900, Salmonella Enteritidis PT4, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Bacillus cereus FSS 134). Monoterpene hydrocarbons, phenolic monoterpenes and alcohols were the major constituents of the oils, but their concentrations varied greatly between the samples examined. The essential oils obtained from the species endemic to Greece ( Satureja and Origanum) had the most potent bactericidal properties. The chemical composition data were statistically processed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and correlated with the antibacterial activities, allowing a rough estimation of the potential of the essential oils antibacterial activity.

Novel Carbonyl Analogs of Tamoxifen: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation

Aim of this work was to provide tamoxifen analogs with enhanced estrogen receptor (ER) binding affinity. Hence, several derivatives were prepared using an efficient triarylethylenes synthetic protocol. The novel compounds bioactivity was evaluated through the determination of their receptor binding affinity and their agonist/antagonist activity against breast cancer tissue using a MCF-7 cell-based assay. Phenyl esters 6a,b and 8a,b exhibited binding affinity to both ERα and ERβ higher than 4-hydroxytamoxifen while compounds 13 and 14 have shown cellular antiestrogenic activity similar to 4-hydroxytamoxifen and the known ER inhibitor ICI182,780. Theoretical calculations and molecular modeling were applied to investigate, support and explain the biological profile of the new compounds. The relevant data indicated an agreement between calculations and demonstrated biological activity allowing to extract useful structure-activity relationships. Results herein underline that modifications of tamoxifen structure still provide molecules with substantial activity, as portrayed in the inhibition of MCF-7 cells proliferation.

Exploitation of Artemisia arborescens as a Renewable Source of Chamazulene: Seasonal Variation and Distillation Conditions

Tree Wormwood ( Artemisia arborescens L.) is a Mediterranean medicinal herb known for its anti-inflammatory properties, mainly because of the high chamazulene content of its essential oil (EO). Herein are presented the results of an investigation concerning the seasonal variation in the chamazulene content of the EOs of three Cretan natural populations of A. arborescens by combined GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. Results highlighted a population containing EO rich in chamazulene at amounts exceeding 50% of its quantitative composition at the full flowering stage, which is the more appropriate vegetative stage for harvesting. Hydro-distillation of the respective plant material in five different pH environments increased, in all cases, the chamazulene yield, with the most efficient pH value being 8.3, when the chamazulene amount increased 1.3 times compared with distillation under neutral conditions, reaching 65.1% of the total content of EO.

Exploitation of Artemisia arborescens as a Renewable Source of Chamazulene: Seasonal Variation and Distillation Conditions

Tree Wormwood (Artemisia arborescens L.) is a Mediterranean medicinal herb known for its anti-inflammatory properties, mainly because of the high chamazulene content of its essential oil (EO). Herein are presented the results of an investigation concerning the seasonal variation in the chamazulene content of.the EOs of three Cretan natural populations of A. arborescens by combined GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. Results highlighted a population containing EO rich in chamazulene at amounts exceeding 50% of its quantitative composition at the full flowering stage, which is the more appropriate vegetative stage for harvesting. Hydro-distillation of the respective plant material in five different pH environments increased, in all cases, the chamazulene yield, with the most efficient pH value being 8.3, when the chamazulene amount increased 1.3 times compared with distillation under neutral conditions, reaching 65.1% of the total content of EO.

Rare earth elements minimal harvest year variation facilitates robust geographical origin discrimination: The case of PDO "Fava Santorinis"

This study examines the trace and rare earth elemental (REE) fingerprint variations of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) "Fava Santorinis" over three consecutive harvesting years (2011-2013). Classification of samples in harvesting years was studied by performing discriminant analysis (DA), k nearest neighbours (κ-NN), partial least squares (PLS) analysis and probabilistic neural networks (PNN) using rare earth elements and trace metals determined using ICP-MS. DA performed better than κ-NN, producing 100% discrimination using trace elements and 79% using REEs. PLS was found to be superior to PNN, achieving 99% and 90% classification for trace and REEs, respectively, while PNN achieved 96% and 71% classification for trace and REEs, respectively. The information obtained using REEs did not enhance classification, indicating that REEs vary minimally per harvesting year, providing robust geographical origin discrimination. The results show that seasonal patterns can occur in the elemental composition of "Fava Santorinis", probably reflecting seasonality of climate.

Seasonal variation and bioactivity of the essential oils of two Juniperus species against Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894)

The seasonal variation in respect to the yield and chemical composition of 24 essential oils (EOs) isolated from various parts (leaves and fruits) of two indigenous Greece Juniperus species (family Cupressaceae), namely Juniperus drupacea and Juniperus phoenica, were determined by GC and GC/MS analysis. The larvicidal properties of these EOs were evaluated against 3rd and early 4th instar larvae of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894) at one screening dose (29 mg L(-1)). Moreover, the repellent activity against adult mosquitoes was also evaluated at one screening dose. The analytical data indicated that the EOs mainly consisted of monoterpenes, mostly cyclic and only occasionally aliphatic and to a lesser percent diterpenes. The EOs yield was sharply increased when the plant material was subjected to pre-treatment before steam distillation. Finally, the influence of plant material collection period on their yield and chemical content was also determined. Bioactivity assessments indicated that three EOs possess very potent larvicidal properties and 12 EOs display significant repellent activities since they were proved to be "DEET-like." Therefore, they represent an inexpensive source of natural mixtures of larvicidal and repellent mixture of natural compounds, with potentials for application for utilization in mosquito control schemes in order to prevent the expansion of viral infections.

The Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) of Dioscorides annotated in codex Neapolitanus Graecus #1

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pedanius Dioscorides has been praised as the father of Pharmacy and his work Περί Ύλης Ιατρικής - De Materia Medica, served as the reference Pharmacy manual for almost twenty centuries. Though greatly celebrated among botanists of all ages' indisputable identification of numerous Dioscorides plants is still in quest. Present essay aspires to resolute the botanical status of the Umbelliferae (Apiacae) plants, through data extraction and recombination from a 7th century manuscript.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Codex Neapolitanus Graecus 1 (CN) is the fundamental study material. From this source were extracted data, both from text and figures, in relation to plant nomenclature, habitat, morphology and geographical distribution; consequently those data were translated into present botanical terminology and then recombined according to the Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands covering the area that Dioscorides was born and studied.

RESULTS, AND CONCLUSIONS

All of the 40 CN plants indicated as Umbelliferae, presented a substantially documented identification. For 19 of them a novel combination was indicated and 4 of them proved new pharmaceutical plants. Applied methodology generated a documented correspondence between CN entries and contemporary Umbelliferae taxa nomenclature forming thus a promising new systematic tool for the study of relevant sources.

Novel conformationally constrained pyrazole derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents

The synthesis of 17 novel conformationally constrained pyrazole derivatives is reported herein, along with the assessment of their anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic activities. The evaluation of their inhibitory effect on cell proliferation against HepG2, HeLa, and MCF-7 cells revealed the pyrrolo[2,3-g]indazole 23 as a potent inhibitor of cell growth with IC50 values of 5 μm. Additionally, the inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor by pyrazoles 20 and 23 (30 % and 35 %, respectively) in HeLa supernatant cells was evidenced. These findings highlight the usefulness of these compounds as potential scaffolds for the design and development of novel anti-cancer agents with pronounced anti-angiogenic activity.

Data fusion for food authentication. Combining rare earth elements and trace metals to discriminate "Fava Santorinis" from other yellow split peas using chemometric tools

"Fava Santorinis", is a protected designation of origin (PDO) yellow split pea species growing only in the island of Santorini in Greece. Due to its nutritional quality and taste, it has gained a high monetary value. Thus, it is prone to adulteration with other yellow split peas. In order to discriminate "Fava Santorinis" from other yellow split peas, four classification methods utilising rare earth elements (REEs) measured through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are studied. The four classification processes are orthogonal projection analysis (OPA), Mahalanobis distance (MD), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and k nearest neighbours (KNN). Since it is known that trace elements are often useful to determine geographical origin of food products, we further quantitated for trace elements using ICP-MS. Presented in this paper are results using the four classification processes based on the fusion of the REEs data with the trace element data. Overall, the OPA method was found to perform best with up to 100% accuracy using the fused data.

Antiangiogenic potential of grape stem extract through inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor expression

The aim of the present study was to investigate the antiangiogenic potential of a grape stem extract against tube formation by human endothelial cells (EA.hy926). The results showed that at low and non-cytotoxic concentrations (50 and 100 μg/ml) the grape stem extract inhibited tube formation, indicating a possible antiangiogenic activity. Moreover, the results showed that this extract inhibited the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most potent proangiogenic factors, suggesting that the tube formation inhibition by the extract may be exerted through inhibition of VEGF levels. Since it is well established that VEGF prevents apoptosis, the previous finding was further supported by the fact that the grape stem extract induced apoptosis in EA.hy926 cells. Furthermore, it was shown that the extract treatment did not change the levels of the proangiogenic molecules hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1). Therefore, these findings indicate that the grape stem extract reduces VEGF levels through mechanisms that may be HIF-1α- and COX-1-independent. The present study is the first showing that grape stem extracts possess antiangiogenic potential. Thus, our findings suggest that since grape stem extracts possess important bioactivities such as antiangiogenic potential, they could be exploited for developing chemopreventive and anticancer agents, while simultaneously protecting the environment through the use of a harmful waste.

Pyrazoles as potential anti-angiogenesis agents: a contemporary overview

Angiogenesis is a mulit-step process by which new blood vessels are formed from preexisting vasculature. It is a key rate limiting factor in tumor growth since new blood vessels are necessary to increase tumor size. In this context it has been shown that anti-angiogenic factors can be used in cancer therapy. Among the plethora of heterocyclic compounds administered as anti-angiogenesis agents, pyrazoles constitute one of the bottlenecks of this category. Currently, several pyrazole based compounds are administered or are in Phase II and III trials and new targets emerge. It is highly possible that the advent of the next two decades will lead to the discovery and use of additional pyrazoles whose anti-angiogenic profile will position them in the forefront of the battle of various malignancies. The present review is an attempt to focus on those pyrazoles that arise as anti-angiogenesis agents commenting both on the chemistry and bioactivity that these exhibit aiming to contribute to the perspectives that they hold for future research.

A fast entry to furanoditerpenoid-based Hedgehog signaling inhibitors: identifying essential structural features

New, small molecule Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitors, such as the furanoditerpenoid taepeenin D, are of high medicinal importance. To establish key structure-activity relationships (SARs) for this lead, a synthetic sequence has been developed for the expedient preparation of several derivatives and their evaluation as Hh inhibitors exploiting its structural similarity to abietic acid. While C(14) substitution is not essential for biological activity, the presence of a hydrogen bond acceptor at C(6) and an intact benzofuran moiety are.

Antiproliferative novel isoxazoles: modeling, virtual screening, synthesis, and bioactivity evaluation

A series of novel isoxazole derivatives were efficiently synthesized through the adaptation/modification of an in situ synthetic procedure for pyrazoles. All novel compounds were tested against four different cell lines to evaluate their antiproliferative activity. Based on the Hela cells results of this study and previous work, a classification model to predict the anti-proliferative activity of isoxazole and pyrazole derivatives was developed. Random Forest modeling was used in view of the development of an accurate and reliable model that was subsequently validated. A virtual screening study was then proposed for the design of novel active derivatives. Compounds 9 and 11 demonstrated significant cytostatic activity; the fused isoxazole derivative 18 and the virtually proposed compound 2v, were proved at least 10 times more potent as compared to compound 9, with IC50 values near and below 1 μM. In conclusion, a new series of isoxazoles was exploited with some of them exhibiting promising cytostatic activities. Further studies on the substitution pattern of the isoxazole core can potentially provide compounds with cytostatic action at the nM scale. In this direction the in silico approach described herein can also be used to screen existing databases to identify derivatives with anticipated activity.

Anticarcinogenic activity of polyphenolic extracts from grape stems against breast, colon, renal and thyroid cancer cells

A major part of the wineries' wastes is composed of grape stems which are discarded mainly in open fields and cause environmental problems due mainly to their high polyphenolic content. The grape stem extracts' use as a source of high added value polyphenols presents great interest because this combines a profitable venture with environmental protection close to wine-producing zones. In the present study, at first, the Total Polyphenolic Content (TPC) and the polyphenolic composition of grape stem extracts from four different Greek Vitis vinifera varieties were determined by HPLC methods. Afterwards, the grape stem extracts were examined for their ability to inhibit growth of colon (HT29), breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-23), renal (786-0 and Caki-1) and thyroid (K1) cancer cells. The cancer cells were exposed to the extracts for 72 h and the effects on cell growth were evaluated using the SRB assay. The results indicated that all extracts inhibited cell proliferation, with IC₅₀ values of 121-230 μg/ml (MCF-7), 121-184 μg/ml (MDA-MD-23), 175-309 μg/ml (HT29), 159-314 μg/ml (K1), 180-225 μg/ml (786-0) and 134->400 μg/ml (Caki-1). This is the first study presenting the inhibitory activity of grape stem extracts against growth of colon, breast, renal and thyroid cancer cells.

Insecticidal efficacy of silica gel with Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus (Pinales: Cupressaceae) essential oil against Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Laboratory bioassays were carried out to evaluate the effect of silica gel enhanced with the essential oil (EO) of Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. oxycedrus (Pinales: Cupressaceae) (derived from berry specimens from Greece) against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). For that purpose, a dry mixture consisting of 500 mg of silica gel that had absorbed 2.18 mg of EO (total weight: 502.18 mg) was tested at three doses; 0.125, 0.250, and 0.5 g/kg of wheat, corresponding to 125, 250, and 500 ppm, respectively, and silica gel alone at 0.5 g/kg of wheat corresponding to 500 ppm, at different exposure intervals (24 and 48 h and 7 and 14 d for S. oryzae; 24 and 48 h and 7, 14, and 21 d for T. confusum). The chemical content of the specific EO was determined by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) analyses indicating the presence of 31 constituents with myrcene and germacrene-D being the predominant compounds. The bioactivity results for S. oryzae indicated that 48 h of exposure in wheat resulted in an 82% mortality for treatment with 500 ppm of the enhanced silica gel. For 7 d of exposure, 100 and 98% of S. oryzae adults died when they were treated with 500 and 250 ppm of enhanced silica gel, respectively. At 14 d of exposure, all adults died both at 250 and 500 ppm of enhanced silica gel. At 48 h, 7 and 14 d of exposure significantly less S. oryzae adults died in wheat treated with silica gel alone than at 250 or 500 ppm of enhanced silica gel. In the case of T. confusum, at 7 d of exposure, mortality in wheat treated with silica gel only was significantly higher in comparison to the other treatments. At the 14 d of exposure mortality in wheat treated with 500 ppm of silica gel alone was significantly higher than 125 and 250 ppm of the enhanced silica gel. Similar trends were also noted at 21 d of exposure, indicating that there is no enhancement effect from the addition of the EO. Results herein suggest that the simultaneous use of silica gel and J. oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus EO enhances significantly its activity against S. oryzae.

Resveratrol and related stilbenes: their anti-aging and anti-angiogenic properties

Dietary stilbenes comprise a class of natural compounds that display significant biological activities of medicinal interest. Among them, their antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-angiogenesic properties are well established and subjects of numerous research endeavors. This mini-review aspires to account and present the literature reports published on research concerning various natural and synthetic stilbenes, such as trans-resveratrol. Special focus was given to most recent research findings, while the mechanisms underlying their anti-aging and anti-angiogenic effects as well as the respective signaling pathways involved were also presented and discussed.